United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

Source:

TAUB

Access Restrictions:

No

Abstract:

Sixteen components focusing on nutritional practices and physical health comprise this survey of Hispanic Americans. The Body Measurements file includes anthropometric data on individuals such as skeletal and skin fold measurements, body circumferences, height, and weight. The Dental Health data provide dental history information, including the frequency of and reasons for visits to a dental hygienist, fluoride treatments, and the results of a clinical examination. The Blood and Urine Assessments component of the study contains clinical data such as red and white blood cell counts, serum iron and vitamin levels, amount of lead, and other assays. The Physician's Examination file provides the results of a basic physical exam, and the Dietary Practices/Food Frequency component includes information on food recall, special diets, frequency of meals, and consumption of various types of foods. The Adolescent and Adult History Questionnaire file supplies information on health care and problems getting care, dental care, health status, conditions, medical treatment, pesticide exposure, smoking, acculturation, meal programs for school-age children, reproductive history, and health status of children. Measures of Depression provides data on feelings of depression, how depression affected everyday life, help sought during depression, and weight changes and sleep loss due to depression. The Alcohol Consumption Data section includes information on the amount and kind of alcohol consumed, reasons for drinking, and self-perception of drinking habits. The Drug Abuse file offers information on the use of barbiturates and other sedatives, marijuana and hash, inhalants, and cocaine. The Hearing data were collected during the physical examination and provide information on respondents' ability to hear and the condition of their hearing organs. The Gallbladder Ultrasound data include information on disease, history of symptoms, findings of ultrasounds, and physical examinations of the gallbladder. Diabetes and OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) data were also collected. Respondents were asked whether they had diabetes and were also questioned about age of onset, medication taken, diet, and if the OGTT had been administered. The file also contains detailed information on the OGTT, diet before the testing, time intervals between blood drawings, and plasma glucose values in milligrams and deciliters. The Vision section furnishes information on the respondent's eyesight, whether he or she had a problem seeing, appliances worn, age when corrective lenses were first worn, if a doctor had been visited for sight problems, and findings from a physician's examination. Measurements of the respondent's visual acuity with and without correction are also included in the data. The Child History section includes information on health status, health care utilization, infant feeding practices, participation in meal programs, school attendance, and language use. The 24-Hour Recall lists amounts of calories, protein, total fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, alcohol, vitamins, and minerals for each food item consumed by each person. It also contains a description of the food, ingestion period, approximate time of consumption, and food source. The data from the Measurement and Interpretation of Electrocardiograms file give an objective measure of the cardiac health status of individuals examined in the survey. Despite the limitations of such data, the electrocardiographic variables are carefully and completely defined. Also, an extensive process was used to ensure the accuracy of the findings. In addition, each part of this collection provides sociodemographic data, such as age, race, national origin, birthplace, education, employment, insurance, and use of public assistance. Also included are family data including number of people in the family, family income, poverty index, use of food stamps, and size of residence.

Universe:

The three Hispanic-American population subgroups represented in this study are: (1) Mexican-Americans from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, (2) Cuban-Americans from Dade County, Florida, and (3) Puerto Ricans from the New York City area, including parts of New Jersey and Connecticut.